


friday night

by lilabut



Category: The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Mild Language, Mild Sexual Content, Past Domestic Violence, Pregnancy, There's also a dog
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-17
Updated: 2017-01-17
Packaged: 2018-09-18 03:17:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9365648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilabut/pseuds/lilabut
Summary: With the house to themselves, Carol and Daryl make the most of a peaceful Friday night.





	

_You're home early,_ Carol calls from the front porch as he climbs out of his truck. She's sitting on the swing with her legs crossed, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders and a mug of steaming tea between her curled fingers. Daryl stops for a minute to take in the sight of her. This is exactly what he imagined when they bought this old and rundown farm house a year ago, a spur of the moment decision that cost them all their savings and then some. But it's home, it's theirs - and this is what he pictured the first time they saw it. Carol on the front porch, smiling, happy. Coming home to her.

 

He's nearly knocked off his feet when Walter runs up to greet him, jumping up until his big paws hit him square in the chest, tail wiggling excitedly (his name had been Sophia's idea, and when it comes to decision making he's usually outranked in this house). Grinning down at him he ruffles the fur behind his ears. Coming home to all this is what he always dreamed of. It's taken a lot of work, blood and tears and sweat, but they are finally where they always wanted to be. Where he never thought he'd get to be.

 

_Slow day,_ he explains as he walks up the porch stairs, the coat of paint still new and spotless. Walter follows his every step, huffing and nudging his leg. _Dale sent some of us home._ Carol's smile is bright, her cheeks slightly flushed and glowing, the steadily growing curls of her hair shimmering in the afternoon sunlight. Leaning down to press a kiss to her lips - warm and soft and humming as they meet - he slips one hand under the coarse wool of the blanket. Easily, it comes to rest against the swell of her stomach, cradling it in his palm. _How ya feelin'?_

 

She's been at home, curled up in bed, for most of this week. Tired, plagued by headaches and nausea, barely managing to drag herself to the shower. He'd tried to take time off to be with her, help her around the house, but she'd insisted he go to work. At night, she's tossing and turning next to him, and not even his embrace can ease her discomfort.

 

The pregnancy wasn't exactly planned. They'd talked about it a few times, played with the idea. Spent late nights imagining what it might be like to have a child of their own. Sophia feels like his own daughter to him, he's seen her grow so much in the past five years. But he couldn't deny that the idea of having a baby with Carol - a life they'd _create_ together - wasn't tempting. Wasn't something he craved. And so, after a few months, they'd decided to give it a try. Had thrown the box of condoms into the trash with a giggle and two glasses of wine staining their lips.

 

Only, neither of them truly thought it would actually lead to something. Her pregnancy with Sophia had been difficult, and she'd required surgery afterwards. Had suffered too many injuries during her marriage to Sophia's father. And they both admitted with a roll of their eyes that they're a handful of years past their prime baby making age. Not too old. But enough to make them doubt the success.

 

No. They were prepared for the disappointment. Instead, two months later, Carol slipped a positive pregnancy test into his hands.

 

That was four months ago. And still his heart has not slowed down even one bit.

 

_Better,_ Carol reassures him, stealing another kiss before he straightens himself. His hand doesn't stray. _But not great._ He sighs, too consumed by worry to really allow himself to relax. A thought seems to cross her mind and she curls her hand around his where it rests on her stomach. _Actually now that you're here, could you do me a favor?_

 

_Anything._ Not letting go of her, he sinks down onto the swing by her side, close enough for their sides to press together. Carol smiles, resting her head on his shoulder. With his thumb, he draws circles over her belly, wishes he could feel their baby move yet (he's never felt more jealous than when Carol tells him she felt a flutter, her eyes wide with wonder).

 

_Could you drive Sophia over to the Morales' house? Eliza's having a sleepover._ Moving into the farm house meant that their closest neighbors live nearly a mile away, the rest of town too far to reach by foot. Sophia had been less than thrilled by the idea, throwing a fit as if they were trying to move her across the country. Eventually, she fell victim to the house's charm, too. The large porch, the lake nested in a clearing, wide open rooms with large windows. Two rooms all for herself.

 

_Sure,_ he agrees, pressing a kiss to the crown of Carol's head. _When's she gotta be there?_

 

Carol's free hand reaches for his, curling her fingers around his and tugging him closer. _Half an hour. She's upstairs packing. I think she wants to move out,_ she explains with a chuckle he picks up, too, no doubt remembering the same bickering fights with her daughter that she does. Puberty is sneaking up on them slowly but surely.

 

They bathe in the moment for a while longer until their laughter fades. Walter has curled up by Daryl s feet, yawning. _Thank you,_ Carol says softly, looking up at him with shimmering blue eyes (it's still taking his breath away how damn beautiful she is and how she looks at him so softly and gently, the way nobody's ever looked at him his whole damn life).

 

_'s all right,_ he replies, leaning down to brush his lips against hers. She tastes like ginger and lemon, remnants of the tea that cools abandoned on the small table next to a vase of fresh flowers. _Listen, how 'bout I drop her off and pick up dinner on the way back?_ His words are quiet, just a breath between them, and he can feel her shuddering against him. _Could watch a movie, maybe take a bath._

 

She blinks a few times, her lashes flickering, framing her eyes. From this distance, he can almost count the freckles speckled on her face. _But you're meeting with the guys,_ she says, half a question.

 

He almost forgot about that. Had planned weeks ago to head to a bar with Rick and a few other guys. But he has little to no motivation to go, to leave her all alone in the house when he finally has time to take care of her. _See 'em all the time. Can cancel._ The tip of his nose nudges hers, and his heart stutters when the corners of her mouth curl up into a soft smile.

 

_You see_ me _all the time._ She sounds almost coy, looking up at him through her lashes and he leans in closer until his lips just barely graze the shell of her ear, making her shudder when he speaks, his voice low.

 

_Ain't got the place to ourselves all the time._

 

His breath hits her ear and the side of her neck and her body betrays her for a brief second - fingers tightening around his, sucking in a deep breath, cheeks flushing - before she laughs and swats at his arm. _You have no shame._

 

He intended to tease her a little but now he's not so sure if she understands that or if she thinks he really has _that_ on his mind. She's always been hell of a lot better at this than him. He misses her, all right. Misses being with her. But if she's feeling sick or just ain't up for it he sure as hell won't push her. _Just meant we could-_ he begins to clarify, pulling back a little but staring down at their joined hands on her belly.

 

_It's okay, Pookie,_ she interrupts him, pressing soft fingers to his lips before cupping his cheek in her palm. _I'd love to. Not sure if I'm up for anything other than cuddling in front of the TV anyway._ She tucks her face into the crook of his neck, smiling into his skin.

 

_'s all I meant,_ he murmurs, running a hand up and down her spine under the blanket, following the ridges of her spine from tailbone to the base of her skull.

 

_I love you,_ Carol tells him with a kiss to his pulse point. Words he'll never tire of hearing. Words he murmurs into the silky strands of her hair even though they can never express just how much she means to him.

 

* * *

 

_Ya sure ya can carry all that by yourself?_ Daryl asks with a suppressed smirk, side-eying Sophia's numerous bags that pile up in her lap. Carol hadn't been wrong when she said their big girl might consider moving out. She definitely packed too much for one night.

 

Sophia stares daggers at him, something she's gotten way too skilled at recently, crossing her skinny arms in front of her chest. _Shut up,_ she says, sounding dead serious for a moment before cracking and laughing softly.

 

Daryl shakes his head at her, tapping his fingers on the steering wheel. He left the engine running, the rumbling of it sounding too loud now that they are parked in front of the Morales' house. _Have fun, kid._ He gently nudges her arm with his fist, one corner of his mouth curled into a half smile reserved just for her.

 

Her own face lights up, and she gathers her stuff in her arms before pushing the door open. _Thanks, dad- Daryl._ She freezes in the door, eyes wide and then her cheeks flame up. Clearing her throat, she doesn't quite seem to know what to say or do.

 

He's not much better, staring at her with wide eyes for a moment before gathering himself. Choosing not to say anything and make her even more uncomfortable than she already is, he just nods. It says more than enough.

 

He's more than okay with this. Has felt like her dad for years. But to hear her call him that, for it to slip so naturally - it makes his stomach do a little twist.

 

Sophia smiles shyly, looking every bit the child she still is despite the make up she's so into these days or the earrings she insisted on getting and the slowly sharpening features on her face. She's growing up fast but she's still the little girl who blushed furiously when they first met all those years ago.

 

She shuts the door and he waits and watches as she hurries up to the front door. Mrs Morales waves at him when he opens, and Daryl returns the gesture. When they disappear into the house, he lingers for just a moment longer before heading into town.

 

* * *

 

_No you didn't!_ Carol's eyes are wide as saucers, bursting with excitement as she bounces on the tips of her toes. Her hands dig into the paper bag he set down on the counter, and he snorts at the sight of her as he shrugs out of his coat.

 

_Sure I did,_ he says with a theatrical proud grin as she unpacks the food he got - expensive as fuck from her favorite Italian restaurant. The one he takes her to once a year for their anniversary. _Look what else I got,_ he adds, setting a second bag down and when she unwraps the desert hiding inside she closes her eyes and makes a whimpering sound.

 

_Marry me._

 

He snorts, kneeling down to pet Walter who is caught between begging for Daryl's attention and sniffing the food on the counter. _Already did,_ Daryl reminds her, grinning as she grabs plates from the cupboard.

 

She winks at him, peeling foil off the containers that hold their food. _Marry me again._

 

He'd do that in a heartbeat.

 

* * *

 

There are so many bubbles filling the tub that he can't make out more of their bodies than their knees and the tops of her breasts. Just barely lit by a few candles, the room is bathed in an orange glow, Carol leaning against him where she sits between his legs. Her breathing is even, calm - finally some of the tension seems to ease from her body. His hands - calloused and large - rub gentle circles into her shoulders, up her neck, just barely crazing the roots of her hair.

 

_Feelin' better?_ He keeps his voice low, just above a whisper, and leans down to press a tender kiss to her freckled shoulder. Carol leans into the touch, cranes her neck to offer him more room, and he'd be a fool to deny her this wish.

 

_Yes,_ she hums as he feathers kisses up towards the crook of her neck, nudging his nose into her creamy skin, breathing in the fresh scent of her.

 

He smooths his hands from her shoulders down her arms, sinking into the warm water and following the bend of her elbow where she has them pressed into his thighs. Lightly, he runs his fingertips down her forearms to her wrists, entwining their fingers just briefly before retreating, curling his arms around her to rest against her bare stomach. _Wanna go downstairs and watch a movie?_ he asks, breathing the question against the side of her neck.

 

He can vaguely see her lips curling into a smile, her eyes closed. _No,_ she whispers, and then her hand moves away from his knee. A shudders runs through his body when she smooths her palm down the inside of his thigh ever so slowly. He can't help his body's reaction, bites back a curse when he feels himself hardening against her lower back. This close and with nothing separating them but warm water, he can't hide it for even a second. But she doesn't seem to mind, tilts her hips back against him instead and he muffles a groan in the pale skin of her shoulder.

 

_Carol-_ he chokes, a part of him wanting to stop her but he's helpless to actually do it. It feels too good to feel her hands on him, and she is so close, so damn close and-

 

_Shhh,_ she murmurs, her other hand coming up to curl around the back of his neck. _I'm okay._

 

It's meant to reassure him and when she turns her head he can see that she means it, but still he worries that she's expecting too much, pushing herself too far. _Ya sure?_ he asks, just to make sure, unable to stop his hips from grinding against her, nudging her fingers just a bit closer to where he really needs to feel her.

 

_I miss you,_ she whispers, her eyes pleading, and she is so close that her lips brush his with every word she utters. Her fingers curl into his hair, dragging her nails across his scalp and tugging just ever so slightly. _Touch me,_ she pleads, and then she claims his lips in a kiss that is searing and languid and steals his breath. Giving him no room for doubts, her hand finally reaches its destination, curling around him with a tight grasp that has him groaning deep in his chest, his hands finally moving. Touching her. Smoothing up her stomach to cup her breasts, drawing his thumbs over the stiff peaks.

 

_Fuck,_ he grunts when she begins to stroke him, the word lost in the kiss. She uses his moment of weakness to bury her face in the crook of his neck, lips mouthing kisses against his thrumming pulse point. Almost gentle compared to the rhythm her hand is setting, driving him close to the edge embarrassingly fast and her soft moans as he touches her don't help at all. _Carol,_ he pleads, nowhere to go and no willpower to stop her. But she can hear the despair in his voice, stills her hand, curled around the base of him with just the slightest amount of pressure. Teasing him.

 

Looking up at him with dark eyes and kiss-swollen, parted lips, he knows he's going to give her whatever she wants. _Please._

 

* * *

 

She sighs when he lays her down on the bed, her skin so incredibly soft, bare, glowing.

 

Her hands are buried in his hair, keeping him close, lips warm and pliant against his. Soft breasts push against his chest, and he can hear her heart beating wildly alongside his own.

 

Everything about her is so much softer than before, her skin like silk when he kisses down her throat, follows the valley between her breasts to the swell of her stomach. He lingers there, feathering butterfly kisses there until she sighs, fingers curling into the sheets.

 

His hands find her thighs, fingertips trailing lazily up and down from the joint of her hip to the bend of her knee, and she parts her legs for him eagerly, whispering his name into the dark bedroom.

 

Once, he might have teased her a little. Kissed his way back up her body to silence her mewl of protest with his lips. But now is not the time for that. Instead, he presses his lips to the inside of her thigh, milky white skin so soft beneath his touch that he can barely feel it. Trailing his lips downwards, he listens to her breathing, to the occasional gasp, watches the way her eyes flutter shut and her fingers grasp for purchase.

 

She pants his name when he kisses her where she's warm and wet, her hips jolting off the bed towards his touch. It draws a smile from him that he hopes she can feel, and he continues to kiss her softly, gently. It's slow and almost shy considering what he's doing, but when she finally falls apart her cheeks and chest are flushed red and a lonely tears trails down her face.

 

He kisses it away when she pulls him up towards her, curls her arms around his shoulders to hold him close, as close as possible for just a moment.

 

She mercifully hasn't touched him since they stepped out of the bath, when he'd tried to wrap a towel around her but she'd wrapped her warm hand around him instead, dragging her fingers down his abdomen until he pushed against her, trapping his length between them with a groan of her name and a plead for her to stop.

 

But he doesn't stop her this time when she reaches down between them and begins to stroke him, slower and more delicately than before. Drawing her thumb over the tip of him and sending jolts of white heat up his spine as she kisses him.

 

He could stay like this with her forever, but he know he won't last long if she keeps this up. He's too consumed by the moment, and when he parts the kiss with a moan she is looking up at him with a gentle smile.

 

_Please,_ she repeats, drawing her hand away from him and cupping his cheek instead. _I love you._

 

He moves off her slowly and carefully, stroking his hands over her breast and ribs, her stomach and hips. Lays down on his side and kisses her shoulder when she does the same. Her back is smooth and spotless – the very opposite of his own – and he takes a moment to run his fingers down her spine again. Buries his face in her hair when she curls her leg around his. Drawing him closer.

 

A sigh of his name passes her lips when he slides into her, slowly, inch by inch. He wants to cry from the intensity of it all. The warmth of her all around him, his hand on her stomach, his lips on the back of her neck. Her shuddering breath. Her muscles fluttering around him with each slow, languid stroke he makes.

 

There's no urgency to it anymore. Slow tilts of his hips that she mirrors with her own, reaching behind herself to hold his hip, to hold him close. He barely moves out of her, wants to stay inside of her for as long as he can. Shifts himself until her breathing is as labored as his own.

 

Eventually, though, he knows he can't hold out much longer. White heats coils at the base of his spine and he trails his hand down between her legs, finds her wet and warm and mewling when he touches her, hips bucking in time with his thrusts.

 

She falls apart in his arms with a drawn out moan, clamping down around him and sending him over the edge. He muffles his own groan against her throat, clutches her to him as he thrusts into her a few more times, a little harder now than before. Shuddering through it all, he barely notices the way she trails her fingers down his arm, hums softly as he pulses inside of her for a few more seconds.

 

They stay like this for a good long while, curled around each other, moving no more than necessary for their lips to meet in a slow and lazy kiss. For his fingers to draw patterns on her belly. For Carol to fall asleep with barely an inch of space between them, calm and breathing evenly in his arms for the first time all week.

 

One last kiss to the crown of her head before sleep claims him, too. Peacefully and with dreams full of promises for the future.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Just a quick something I wrote to cheer someone up :)


End file.
